St. Joseph Parish at Mission San Jose is planning a celebration of Fremont's diverse cultures with an "International Festival" on June 8 and 9 behind the Old Mission. The event will feature delicious foods of the Philippines, China, India, Indonesia, Portugal, Italy, Mexico and America, not from restaurants, but rather authentic, locally cooked food from members of the church and other cultural groups.

There will be live entertainment showcasing multi-cultural dance and music, including South Indian classical music and dance, Mexican harp from Salvadore Vasquez, Hawaiian music from Patrick Landeza, and Filipino dance and music, as well as performances from the St. Joseph Youth Choir. Children can enjoy game booths of Skee Ball, Dart Balloons, Ring Toss, and Fishing Pond, while adults can peruse arts and crafts vendors, sample beer and wine, and take tours of Mission San Jose. Fremont Flower Pavilion, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Das Brew, Sew Handy/G-Jewelry, and Curtis Jammin Kettle Korn are just a few of the vendors that will be on hand.

A 55'' HDTV, U.S. Liberty Gold Coin, and a Hornblower VIP Cruise for Four will be raffled off at the festival. Tickets are $2 each, seven for $10, or 20 for $20. The drawing will be held June 9; participants need not be present to win. A Pancake Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning and a live parrot show later in the day are all part of this fun weekend.

Nothing brings people together like food, and this event is all about creating community, bringing together people from various cultures and celebrating what each has to offer.

Admission to the festival is free. For information, please go to www.saintjosephmsj.org/festival. Contact Don Kaefer at donaldstjoseph@yahoo.com or Kathy Meuter at meuterk@gmail.com with any questions.